- Marchione Guitars
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Marchione Guitars 
Industry Musical instruments Founded 1993 Founder(s) Stephen Raphael Marchione Headquarters Houston,Texas, USA Website www.marchione.com Marchione Guitars of Houston, Texas is a manufacturer of stringed instruments, such as acoustic and electric guitars, Fretless Bass, and Violins. The company was founded in Manhattan by Stephen Raphael Marchione. In 2001 Marchione decided to move his family and Marchione Guitars back to Houston, Texas where his studio is today. Marchione has been a Luthier since 1990, and has made custom guitars for Mark Whitfield, John Abercrombie, Paul Simon, Mark Knopfler, as well as many popular New York guitarist.
Contents
History
Marchione started building stringed instruments in 1990, right after graduating from Naropa University where he received B.A. in Music. A professor from Naropa suggested he look at New York City as a place to find a job, and searched for one on the famous 48th St. music district in New York City. Marchione found an apprenticeship with Pensa-Suhr Guitars (Pensa Custom Guitars & Suhr Guitars), in the middle of Manhattan's Musical Instrument District. He worked with John Suhr and Mas Hino both accomplished luthiers, and was able to learn valuable skills from both. The clientele were some of the well known New York guitarist such as Mark Knopfler, Wayne Krantz and John Abercrombie. After 3 years of working for Pensa-Suhr, Marchione decided that he wanted to start building more Acoustic instruments and to establish his own brand and studio. He opened Marchione Guitars in 1993 on 20th St., in a Manhattan district known for its recording studios, in order to be closer to his professional customers. This was the location of Marchione Guitars until 2001, when after the events of September 11, Marchione decided to move back to his hometown of Houston, TX with his family. Marchione Guitars is located in the Neartown area, which is also known for being Houston's largest artist community. Marchione Guitars caters to the needs of electric and acoustic guitarist, violists, as well as bassist from all over the world.
Customers
Mark Whitfield ( Sting, John Mayer, Mary J. Blige, Lauryn Hill )
Mark Whitfield playing Marchione 16" Archtop Guitar
Paul Simon ( Simon & Garfunkel, One Trick Pony, The Capeman )
Faton Macula ( Marc Anthony, Luis Miguel )
Paul Kogut ( Charles Earland, J.R. Monterose, Clark Terry )
John Abercrombie (guitarist) ( Billy Cobham, Jack DeJohnette, Michael Brecker )
Mark Knopfler ( Dire Straits, The Notting Hillbillies, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton )
Mel Torme ( Higher and Higher )
Leni Stern ( Mike Stern )
Ray Gomez ( Stanley Clarke, Chaka Khan, Aretha Franklin, Roy Buchanan )
Ira Siegel ( George Benson, Jewel, Bette Midler )
JK ( Herbie Hancock )
Mark Stewart ( Paul Simon, Bang on a Can )
Kevin Kuhn ( The Lion King, The Secret Garden (musical), Chu Chem, The Who's Tommy )
Kenny Brescia ( Rent, Shrek the Musical, Legally Blonde )
Jorge Alfano
Amit Chaterjee ( Joe Zawinul )
Jeff Southworth ( Hall and Oates )
Andy Bassford ( Toots and the Maytals, Peter Tosh, Burning Spear )
Jay Azzolina ( Spyro Gyra, John Patitucci )
Page Hamilton ( Helmet (band) )
Ed DeGenaro
Bob Gore
Valdemar Phoenix
Electric guitars
Marchione working in studio15" Archtop Guitar- Mark Whitfield's signature Marchione 15" Archtop. The back is European Flamed maple and the Top is European Alpine Spruce. The 25.5" scale length neck is American Sugar maple and the finish is Nitrocellulose lacquer. All fittings, binding and the fingerboard are African Ebony and the pickup is a hand wound, very warm, full output Humbucker. For increased durability and on stage reliability the 15" Archtop also features Stainless Steel Fretwire, locking Sperzel Tuners and Schaller Strap Locks. The guitar was made in conjunction with Mark Whitfield's ongoing touring with Chris Botti as well as his tour with Sting (musician).
16" Archtop Guitar Marchione designed the 16" Archtop to have all the projection and acoustic tone of a big Jazz box. When Mark Whitfield came to Marchione he was looking for a guitar that would stand out in a crowd and be totally tailored to his needs. He played a 16" Archtop at the shop in New York and fell in love with it. Using the 16" as a template Marchione set out to make him his dream guitar. Right off the bat, the 16" acoustic sound gave Mark tons of stage presence but he still needed a very subtle pickup to transmit all that rich acoustic sound, Marchione decided that the right thing would be a hand wound, one of a kind Marchione Jazz pickup. Working with Steve Blucher at DiMarzio, Marchione created a pickup that would cleanly transmit the guitar's acoustic sound. Marchione also decided to make it a true signature guitar by inlaying his logo QP (Quick Pick) in Mother-of-pearl in the tailpiece and inlayed strips of Zulu wood in the tailpiece, pickguard and headstock.
17" Archtop Guitar- Mid Size fully acoustic Archtop guitar.
18” Archtop Guitar- Super Jumbo fully acoustic Archtop guitar.
Whitfield Guitars - Marchione has built Mark Whitfield 8 different guitars since 1999.
Classical Guitar- Marchione only uses Hot Hide glue in construction and Hand plane all surfaces prior to glue-up. Marchione's classical guitars are French polished Cedar and Indian Rosewood, 650mm scale length. Marchiones study's of the great Spanish instruments has given him tremendous respect and admiration for the Domingo Esteso/Conde Hermanos lineage as well as the Miguel Rodriquez family. Marchione has owned one Esteso and two Conde's and has learned so much from them. He also gained tremendous insight from an Anselmo Solar-Gonzales which enlightened him to the long term benefits of instrument stability by incorporating Italian violin making techniques into Spanish construction method.
Neck-Through Guitar-The Neck-Through guitar has a fat neck tone and long ringing sustain. Marchione makes the body from Archtop grade Quilted maple which he bookmatched to either side of the neck. The neck, a three piece Rock Maple laminate with an African Ebony fingerboard, is ultra stable and very fast playing thanks to the hand cut neck contour and smooth fretwork.
Marchione carving a spruce topCarve-Top Guitar- Maple top, Mahogany Maple neck, 25 1/2 Scale Length.
Vintage Tremolo Guitar- Lightweight Swamp Ash body, Sugar Maple neck, African Ebony fingerboard, Stainless Steel Fretwire, Custom Marchione pickups and electronics Sperzel Tuners and Wilkinson Bridge 25 1/2 Scale Length.
Electric Bass
Fretless Bass Guitar-Lightweight Swamp Ash body, Sugar Maple neck, African Ebony fingerboard, Maple fretlines, Custom Marchione pickups and electronics, Custom Hipshot© tuners and bridge.
Violin
Electric and Acoustic Violin- The Marchione Violin is based on the designs of Guarnieri "Del Gesu". Marchione builds in the traditional Cremonese style with techniques learned from the Master makers Guy Rabut, Charles Ruffino and Samuel Zygmuntowicz. The woods used are very selective and rare.
Photos
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15" Marchione Archtop Guitar
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16" Marchione Archtop Guitar
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17" Marchione Archtop Guitar
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18" Marchione Archtop Guitar
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Marchione Classical Guitar
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Marchione Neck-Through Guitar
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Marchione Carve-Top Guitar
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Marchione Vintage Tremolo Guitar
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Marchione Fretless Bass Guitar
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Marchione Violin
External links
Categories:- Companies based in Houston, Texas
- Companies established in 1993
- Manufacturing companies based in Texas
- Musical instrument manufacturing companies
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